Vital Records are those which are required to:
- Establish and protect the rights and interests of the organization and its clients;
- Re-instate business operations during or following a disaster; and
- Continue to communicate with, and service the needs of, staff following a disaster.
Examples of Vital Records Include (but not limited to):
- Insurance policies
- Pay rates
- Some policy and procedures
- Certificates of incorporation
- Corporate seals
- Legal documents
- Software programs and licenses
- Deeds
- Contracts and agreements
- Copyrights
- Leases
- Wills
- Client files
- Personnel register
- Current financial records; etc.
Identification of Vital Records:
- Is an essential business practice for any organization.
- A vital records register is an essential component of any risk management or disaster management plan.
- A Register will ensure that the organization’s vital records are identified and protected.
- Identification of vital records requires a sound understanding of the objectives and functions of the business of the organization.
- Senior management within each section or division of the organization will have a good understanding of key functions and the recorded information relevant to those functions, will be essential to re-establish business.
- Vital records will only remain “vital” for certain periods of time. For example: contracts and deeds are vital whilst they are current. They will still be important records to keep once their currency has expired but they will not be necessary for immediate recovery of business activity.
Protecting Vital Records:
- Recovery and access to vital records (regardless of format) is an essential business component for any organization.
- Protection, Recovery and Access to vital records is reliant on:
- Identification – once identified, incorporate into a Vital Records Register
- Duplication – copies are essential so that the copy may be used for day to day business / reference purposes and the original is protected and safeguarded
- Backup – daily backup of systems where possible
- Removal – remove vital records from the site to a place where they can be safely stored and retrieved when required.
